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THE IDIOM COLLECTION LEARN & PRACTISE

Have a whale of a time

Understand the meaning. See it in context. Make it yours.

01 / UNDERSTAND

Meaning in plain English

Enjoy yourself very much.

02 / SEE IT IN CONTEXT

The expression in a sentence

  1. We had a whale of a time at the outdoor concert.

03 / CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Quick idiom quiz

Try the question without looking back, then write a sentence of your own. You can retry as often as you like.

Can you recall the expression?

Which expression from this lesson matches this meaning?

Enjoy yourself very much.
Show the answer

Have a whale of a time — Enjoy yourself very much.

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Make it yours

Write one sentence using “Have a whale of a time” about your own life.

Check your sentence

Does your sentence match this meaning?

Enjoy yourself very much.

Compare: We had a whale of a time at the outdoor concert.

Check the spelling and how the expression fits the sentence. Your example can be different.

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GO DEEPER

More ways to understand and use it

When to use it

Use this cheerful, informal expression about an enjoyable event or activity. It is natural when talking about outings, celebrations and time with friends.

More examples in context

  • The children are having a whale of a time making paper puppets.
  • I hope you have a whale of a time on your weekend trip.

Usage note

Keep the complete phrase “a whale of a time”, including both articles. It describes great enjoyment, rather than a long duration or an activity involving whales.

A short conversation

A: Was the pottery workshop any good?
B: We had a whale of a time, even though our bowls looked rather odd.
A: I’d love to join you next time.

One more practice question

If you had a whale of a time at a party, how was it?

A. Very enjoyable.
B. Extremely unpleasant.

Check your answer

A. The expression means you enjoyed the experience a great deal.

Related lessons

Meaning and usage checked against Cambridge Dictionary. Explanations, examples and conversation are original.

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